More Key Questions

By Mary Kirkhart

Answers to questions posed by the Santa Barbara News-Press

1. Do you agree with the recent reorganization of administration at the Montecito Union School District? What might you have done differently, if anything?

Periodic organization review by the District's superintendent is an excellent idea. The board overstepped its strategic role by implementing this reorganization itself. The method and lack of collaborative input from all parts of the organization throughout the process created unnecessary disruption for the school. That is not to say that the new administrative team isn't great; it is. The new team is very open to feedback and it is fantastic that the new Superintendent is considering pushing up her typical year-end parent survey to January to receive parent feedback more quickly.

I would have allowed the new superintendent to evaluate and develop her own reorganization plan. She could have had the opportunity to develop a straightforward, unrushed implementation schedule and then clearly would have been responsible for the plan's success or failure.

In addition, I would have insisted on re-surveying the parents until we received meaningful and inclusive data, and I would have accommodated parent's schedule by holding organizational review meetings at times other than 7:00 a.m.

Finally, I would have required input from of our very experienced former Superintendent and Principal before making a decision on reorganization. Their extensive educational, administrative and MUS knowledge, would have been extremely insightful.

2. What would you do to restore the confidence of parents who say the board has not been listening to them?

With three incoming new board members, it is an opportune time to evaluate how the board listens and communicates. Communication is paramount during times of crisis similar to what happened last spring and the board should build a system to accommodate those situations, not just the every-day meetings. Even with the constraints of a public board meeting protocols, we can make changes to listen and react better.

As your board member, I would strive for proactive communication to the parents and community and encourage feedback to voice questions and concerns. I would insist that correspondence be acknowledged and enumerated at meetings. I would change the way public comment is handled when there are numerous speaker requests. Similar to other public forums, each speaker could be given a limited speaking time (shorter than normal) and all speaker requests should be allowed. I would acknowledge speakers and quantify the number of speakers for and against any action item.

Our new superintendent is very open to parent feedback. As your board member I would encourage and support her efforts, particularly meaningful surveys, and special Q & A style meetings for `hot topics'.

3. Do you anticipate having to take severe measures with the current declining enrollment? If so, how would you approach the issue. If not, why?

With 40 new students this year EXCLUDING the new kindergarteners, our current enrollment of 432 students is well above our average since 2002 of 421. Under the new "Open Enrollment" legislation taking place this year, it is possible that we may have some additional students joining our school from outside of the district next year. Therefore so I do not anticipate taking severe measures at this time.

The question of declining enrollment is still a good one, as our enrollment is below our peak years in the late 1990's and the board may decide to evaluate this issue in the future. I strongly believe that any measures to address declining enrollment should be made in a collaborative process. I would absolutely want input from the teachers, who have intimate and first-hand knowledge of what they need on a daily basis to educate our children.

4. Who do you believe should become the State Superintendent of Public Instruction this November: Larry Aceves or Tom Thorlaksen? Why?

I believe that Tom Thorlaksen is very concerned about California's current rank of 47th in per pupil spending nationwide. I also believe that he is for additional spending for all of California schools, both state-funded schools AND Basic Aid funded schools such as Montecito Union. He has taken a very strong stand for public schools to be a local neighborhood priority. As the current California 11th District Assemblyman, he opposed the recently approved Open Enrollment legislation as it was not proven or thought through. I personally agree with him on these issues and also think his stance is in the best interest of Montecito Union School.

California public school funding is in a crisis. As a Basic Aid (local property tax based funded) school district we are not affected to the same degree as state funded districts. It is critical, however, for the MUS district to stay on top of funding issues and decisions in Sacramento to protect our Basic Aid status. One of the best ways to protect our status is to minimize the funding discrepancy between schools and support appropriate state funding without dismantling the Basic Aid system.

5. What is one decision the board has made with which you agree? What is one decision with which you disagree?

One GREAT decision the board has made is to keep a reserve of funds to cover one year's operating expenses. If, for whatever reason, our Basic Aid status (local property tax funding) were to come into jeopardy, we would have a year to thoughtfully plan and implement the dramatic cost cutting measures that would be needed. I would like to see a review of this reserve account in terms of amounts and how it compares to other Basic Aid schools.

I disagree with the exclusive, top-down decision to reorganize and release the incredibly popular, effective and knowledgeable Principal, Kris Bergstrom. Once the PROPOSED restructure was received from an outside consultant it was quickly rubber-stamped without a single change reflecting input from teachers and parents. The board's immediate release of the Principal, (the reason given to the public "to maintain maximum flexibility"), was disrespectful to the parents, community members and to Ms. Bergstrom herself, our dedicated Principal for so many years. These linked decisions were disruptive, confusing and simply embarrassing.

6. Are API scores an adequate method in determining the effectiveness of MUS, policies or leadership?

Test score data is just one tool in determining the effectiveness. When my 1st grade son was asked by an incoming kindergartener what he thought of his kindergarten teacher, he quickly replied, "She's AWESOME!" You just can't put a test score on that.

Standardized test data is a very powerful tool with quantifiable results. Our test results are excellent and classified MUS as a "10/10" which means we are in the top tenth percentile in terms of test results in the state, and in the top tenth percentile as compared to "like" schools. Last year, our teachers implemented changes in the classroom to improve test scores and it was a success! Our teachers, students and prior administrative team should be congratulated on this accomplishment. Looking forward, what is very exciting for our school is how our new administrative team is embracing and utilizing the wealth of detailed information from our test results.

Our school also offers so much more that just doing well on standardized tests. Our extracurricular and specialist programs are the envy of other schools. The combination of our excellent test scores and a whole child educational experience creates a unique and exceptional school.

7. Do children enrolled in MUS benefit by the union representing the teachers, assuming, of course, that the union represents the teachers.

Having been an executive of a $1B company with over 1200 employees, and much of my experience is relevant to a school board position (fiscal responsibility, collaborative leadership, open communication to name a few), but some is not. A public school is not a business and should not be run as such. I am not a fan of unions as it relates to the business world, HOWEVER, I respect and recognize the benefits of our teachers being represented by their union.

Collective bargaining with the teacher's union is scheduled for this spring. Since this occurs every 4 years, it will be the first time at the bargaining table for each of the five board members. I will bring to the table my business executive background, specifically first-hand experience in the delicate balance of financial constraint and employee compensation.

8. What do you see as the new future model for public education in Montecito?

Let's implement our Strategic Plan!

We have a well thought out, comprehensive Strategic Plan, developed through a collaboration of parents, teachers and administrative staff. I would be honored to a member of the board who leads the way to fulfilling our goals.